This 19__ house near the
Mississippi River was designed by Clarence Johnston. The new owners, recently empty nesters,
wished to open it up spatially, while still preserving the original arrangement
of the parts. By adding onto the back,
we created room for an eating table, with an eating terrace just outside, and a
spot for the two to sit and enjoy a glass of wine while waiting for dinner to
cook. A new rear entry, with coat
storage and a first floor laundry, complete the back corner. The kitchen now opens up to the front entry,
with double doors tucked into thick cabinetry wall, so that getting there is
not so circuitous. Upstairs, bedrooms
and the second floor bathroom were remodeled, and an uninsulated sleeping porch
off the main bedroom was requisitioned for the owners’ bathroom. It fits under the existing roof in such a way
that the bathtub has its own alcove, with a steam shower and water closet
flanking it on either side. The vanity,
with it double sink basins, is topped by a Rojo Alicante marble counter and
custom backsplash, from which the color scheme for the suite was generated.